Book Review: The Power of Now

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.”

Synopsis

Eckhart Tolle’s message is simple: living in the now is the path to enlightenment and happiness. In The Power of Now Tolle guides us in our own spiritual journey. We learn to be more conscious; the mental and physical strategies we can apply to be more present; and how to find inner peace.

Review

You get a car, you get a car, and you get a car…yes, it was Oprah (queen, bless her) who inspired me to pick up The Power of Now. Chosen once as her book club pick, because she found it to be the most important book she had ever read; teaching her how to free herself from the tyranny of the past, live more fully in the present moment, and to find inner peace. Well, that all sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? But I’m not quite sure if I could say that it lived up to the standards…

First of all, the overall concept is superb. It’s important to live in the now and to not worry about the future or the past. To live as we did when we were children, free and full of wonder, not worrying when the next work deadline or about paying the next bill. In the end, there is only one moment that truly matters, and that is the now; future and past mental constructs should not ruin that.

But, is this an original or fresh concept? No, it’s not. Tolle’s ideas stem from basic Buddhist and Yogic principles — the new age mumbo jumbo, which have been known for centuries. However, the tone in which this book has been written makes it seems like he’s the one who invented it.

And about that writing style, it’s very condescending. Tolle saying: “you’re not really listening”, about a hundred times isn’t really motivational or uplifting. Maybe some people like being told 24/7 that they’re wrong, but I don’t. Overall, he comes across as a very preachy person. Telling you when to stop reading, because YOU need to let the truth sink in (I think I can decide that for myself, thank u), and portraying himself as the only enlightened person who we all should listen to (cult vibes, eeekk). I just find him terribly annoying.

Also, this book could easily have been turned into a 10-page essay. As mentioned before, the concept is of high value, but do I need a million examples just to come to the same conclusion? No, I don’t. About 200 pages less and I would have had more time to spend in the now (or am I now worried about the past? ;)).

Would I recommend you this pick up this book? Maybe. I think watching a 10 minute YouTube video on the topic might just be as powerful and life-changing. But if you’ve got the time, and you don’t mind being told your wrong, by all means, give it a go.